Paper-feed attachment for type-writers.



W. R. DIXON. PAPER FEED ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLIOA'TION FILED JAN. 29,1910. 974,556.

Patented Nov. 1 1910.

2 SHEETS-alum 1.

arwzntov W. R.'DIXON.

PAPER FEED ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS. APPLIOATION FILED JAN-.29, 1910.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3141mm to;

,J"Z g v T ziz qjul w/ a without the necessity UNITED srAT sfATENT OFFICE.

WILDEY R. DIXON, OF BOANOKE. VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO JOHN ROSE,

. 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

PAPER-FEED ATTACHMENT FOR r rrn-wnrrnas.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 1 1910.

Application filed January 29, 1910. Serial N 0. 540,855.

To all whom it mag concern.-

l 3e it known that I, VILDEY R. Dixon, a citizen of the United States residing at Roanoke. in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Paper-Feed Attachment for Type- W'riters of which the following is a specification.

This invention has'reference to improvements in paper feed attachments for typewriters and it is designed to provide a reservoir for sheets of paper to vbe fed succes-, sively and automatically to the platenin position to be' operated upon bythe type of the operator placing the sheets as needed.

The present invention is an improvement upon the paper feed attachment for typewriters for which I filed an application on January 19. 1909, under Serial No. 473,173..

In the said application there is shown a reservoir for sheets of paper from which the sheetsmay be fed one at a time'in succession to the proper side of the platen, the feeding being performed automatically by and in accordance with the movement of the platen in the act of typewriting and the structure is such that when a sheetis removed from the typewriting machine' the next sheet has already been automatically moved into position in relation to the platen to continue the typewritingi.

The present invention relates more particularly to means for adapting the reservoir' to sheets of different size and more particularly of different width, to means for maintaining the proper relation of the actuating devices for the paper feed roll, and to other structures, all of which will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings, i

Figure 1 is a'perspective view of the attachment applied to the carriage of a commercial. form'of typewriting machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section of 'the reservoir with parts omitted. Fig. 4: 1s'

a longitudinal section of one e1 d of the reservoir with parts shown 1n elevation. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a follower used in the reservo1r.

Fig. (i is a horizontal section of a portionpf the reservoir showing the follower in top view. Fig. 7 is a detail-view of a portion of one end of the reservoir as viewed from below. Fig. 8 is a perspective: view of a side gage for the'paper, the said gage being used in connection with the reservoir. Fig. 9 is a perspective viewof a support for that end of the roller remote from the end engaging the .act-uating means.

- Referring to the drawings there is shown a typewriter carriage 1 which may be taken as typical of any typewriter-carriage, and the platenv of the carriage is indicated at 2. Fast to a portion of the rear. of the carriage near each end thereof is a block 3 and the two blocks serve as supports fora rod 4 longitudinal of the carriage.

Fast to the rod 4 near each end thereof is a bar 5 and the upper end of each bar 5, there being .two such bars, is appropriately bent to enter a socket 6 at the respective end of a reservoir 7 The reservoir is shown as approximately'U-shaped in crosssection andis slightly longer than the width of the' widest paper to be used. The sockets v6 are provided with elongated slots 8 through 9 are passed and which are which screws threaded into the ends of the corresponding bar 5 where the latter enters the socket so that the reservoir may be properly adjusted lengthwise of the typewriter carriage. The

open end of' the reservoir is toward the platen and fast to the lower edge of the open end of .the reservoir is a low partition 10 formed either by bending up a portion of the reservoir structure or by securing the partition to the body of the reservoir by solder or otherwise. the reservoir is much shorter than the lower face and to the edge of the upper face there is hinged a continuation 12 in the nature of a cover and this continuation or cover is provided with a projecting lip 13 inclined downward at an' angle to the main portion of the cover for a purfpose which will resently appear while the ree edge '14: of t e lip 13 is bent at an angle to the lip as best shown in Fig. 2. I p

Extendin across the cover 12 is a rod 1:) having at a out its middle point aloop 16 The upper face 11 of constituting a manipulating handle and this .rod is normally held'in clips 17 fast on the extend of a corresponding screw rod 19 extending 31 is a sprocket chain 43 so that when the along the corresponding end of the cover I platen 2 is rotated the shaft 30 will particiand connected at the end remote from the threaded end to a spring 20 which in turn is made fast to the end of the reservoir. The threaded end of each rod 20 receives a thumb nut 21 by means of which the spring 20 may be put under greater or less tension as desired. The tendency of the springs 20 is to hold the cover in engagement with the ends of the reservoir, the cover overriding I said ends.

At one end of the reservoir there is a casing 22 housing two gear wheels 23, 24; in mesh one with the other. The gear wheel 23 formed with or has secured'to it-a stub shaft 25 extending through the corresponding end wall of the reservoir 7 and this stub shaft within-the reservoir terminates in a squared section 26 adapted to enter a square socket in the roller 27 within the reservoir beneath the cover 12 at a pointadjacent to in a bracket 28 shown separately in Fig.

9. This bracket is designed to be riveted or other secured to the other end of the reservoir on the inner face thereof and is provided with a socket 29 adapted to receive an-axial stud on the corresponding end of the roller. When the cover 12 is lifted then the roller 27 may be readily removed by disconnecting it from the bracket 28 and then pulling itaway from the squared portion 26 of the stub-shaft 25.

The gear wheel 24 1s mounted on a shaft 30and this shaft exterior to the casing 22 carries a sprocket ,t'v'heel 31 having a clutch member 32 on the" side thereof remote from the casing 22. g L ThTS sprocket wheel 31 is free to rotatejon the shaft 30 but may be coupled thereto by another clutch member 33 rotatable with the shaft but capable of sliding thereon. The clutch member 33 is r the shaft.

urged constantly toward the clutch member 32 by a spring 34 surrounding the shaft 30 and confined between said clutch member 33 and a head 35 formed on the outer end of The clutch member 33 is provided with a collar 36 and this collar is engaged by a fork 37 on one end of a lever 38 pivoted to a bracket 39 fast on and projecting from the casing 22. The. bracket carries a latch member 40 normally tending toward the lever so asto lock the same in a position Where the clutch members are separated but which may be moved to a position to release the lever and allow the clutch members to come together under the action of the sprin 34. A thumb piece 41 is provided for the manipulation of the latch member 40.

Mounted on the arbor of the platen 2 is a sprocket wheel 42 and extending between the sprocket wheel 42 sun the sprocket wheel pate in the movement of the platen to an extent commensurate with the relation of the sprocket wheels 42 and 31. The chain may be provided with a readily separable coupling so that the attachment may be applied to or removed from the typewriter carriage at any time without the necessity of dismantling the carriage. Whenever the platen 2 is rotated thenthe gear wheel 24: is likewise rotated if the clutch members be in engagement and this rotation is imparted to the roller 27 through the other gear wheel 23.

The surface of the roller 2? may be roughened as by the application of emery and the inner face of thecover 12 may be likewise roughened as by the application of emery and the emery may be in the form of powder secured to the surfaces by glue or otherwise, or sand or emery paper may be fastened to the roller and to the inner surface of the cover instead of the direct application of the roughening material.

In the bottom portion of the reservoir, considering the reservoir as in'place on the typewriter, there are slots 45 one near each end of the reservoir and extending lengthwise thereof. Extending through these slots are threaded stems 16 each re iving a thumb or wing nut 47.' The stem. H) are each secured to a respective plate 48 of the general shape of the cross section of the reservoir except that the said plate is reduced in thickness toward the forward end as indicated at 49 to avoid contact with the roller 27-. The two plates 48 are adjustable toward or from the respective ends of the reservoir within the latter and may thereby be brought into engagement with the sides of the paper sheets to be introduced into the reservoir, and because of the range of adjustment of these plates 48 the paper sheets may be centralized in the reservoir or caused to move therein and feed therefrom nearer follower,50 under the control of two spaced thumb screws 51 each having a threaded bearing in the partition 10 before referred to so that the follower may be moved to and from the partition at the will of the operator. The inner face of that portion of the reservoir over which the follower trawta may be provided with indexmarkings so that the follower can be adjusted for pa er sheets of different lengths. Since the 01- lower may enter bet-ween the plates 48 it should be no longer than the minimum distance between these plates, but in order that the follower may engage the ed es of sheets of the greatest width introduci le into the reservoir, the ends of the follower carry extension pieces or strips-52, one at each end of the follower. Each extension strip 52 is provided with a central longitudinal slot 53 flanked .on each side by a longitudinal depression for the reception of the square head of a bolt 56 extending through a perforation in the corresponding end of the foltudinal of the follower 50. In order to protect the edges of the paper sheets from contact with the heads of the bolts-56, the

corresponding face of each extension strip may be covered by a layer 58 of fabric of suitable character.- l$y means of the strips the follower may be made to always occupy the entire distance between the plates 48 no matter what may-be the position of the plates-in .the res' voir 7.

When the reservo is attached to a typewriter or air-:- a. period of use,-itf may be found that the chain 4-3 is either too tight or not tight enough. It will be observed that the sprocket wheel 31 is eccentric to the axis of the roller 27 ,and ofthe shaft 25 which latter extends through the corresponding end of the reservoir 7. Thecas ingliauay be. secured to the end of the resei'-\'oir by meansof suitable screws 59'and in the end of the'reservoi-r the passages for the screws may be elongated in the shape of curved slots 60 having the center of curvature coincident with the-longitudinalaxis of the shaft Thecasing 22 may therefore be adjusted to different positions around the axis of the shaft 2,) as a center, and the sprocket wheel 31 may therefore bemoved toward or from the sprocket wheel thus accommodating the device to the length of the chain 43'. Sincethe shaft 30 participates in this movement of the casing 22 the 'bracket 39 is made fast to the casing so as to move with it and thus not disturb therelation of the lever 38 to the clutch member controlled thereby or to the latch, member 40. The partition 10 has secured thereto either permanently or temporarily an apron 61 ex-- I tending down toward the pl-aten'so that paper sheets fed by the roller 27 will be dire cted into proper relation to the platen.

\Vhen a pile of paper. sheets is introduced into the reservoir 7 the ends ofthese sheets are all brought into one plane againstthe follower 50 or the extensions 52 thereof and because this pile ofpaper sheets is returned on itself by reason of the U-shape ofthe I reservoir 7 the other ends of these sheets will assume spread count position with the inner sheets more advanced than those next inorder. The relation of the cover 12 to the roller 27 is 'such that when the-sheetsare introduced the cover is slightly raised and the springs 20 are under tension. When the platen is turned in the usual direction for line spacing this movement is. transmitted time.

to the roller 27 in a direction to feedthein nerniostsheet of the pile outward. This feeding movement continues step by step until the sheet being fed ultimately moves into active engagement with the platen and is fed thereby 'in' the usual manner. When the first sheet fed out of the reservoir moves away from the roller 27 the springs urge' the cover 12 toward the rollerso that the second sheet is engaged and is fed forward in slight over-lapping relation to the first sheet being thus brought into engagement with the platen in the manner that the writing may continue without the necessity of shifting or adjusting-the paper for the head spacing, this being provided for by the overlapping of the sheets when they reach the platen. The lip l3 with its extension 14 tends to direct the paper toward the apron (31 and the latter then directs the paper toward the receiving side of theplaten. -Therough inner surface of the .lip 13 presents su'liicient frictional resistance to the ends of the sheets engaging it to hold back all sheets except the one directly in contact with the roller 27 so that one sheet only is fedat a The apron 61 is sufficiently curved away from the partition 10 to provide room for the thumb screws 51 even when: the follower 50 is in engagement with the inner wall of the partition 10, and the latter is provided with passages in the pathsof the'thumb nuts 57 so that the follower 50 may be brought into passages are-indicated at 7 with the clips 17 or the rod 15 and. or this reason there is placed upon the lip 13 a guard strip 63 extending longitudinally of the hp ad acentto the rod 15 on the platen sidethereofj Whatis claimed is I 1. In a paper feed attachment for typewriters, a reservoir for the sheets, means for.

feeding the sheets from the reservoir comprising afeed roller, drivin means between the same and the platen o the typewriter about the longitudinal. axis of said feed roller.

and means for adjusting the portion of the driving, means controlling the feed roller 2. In a paper feeding apparatus for type-' the portion of the connections adjacent to the feed roller about the longitudinal axis of the latter.

3. In a paper feeding attachment for typewriters, a reservoir for the sheets, meansfor feeding the sheets from the reservoir comprising a feed roller, flexible driving means between the same and the platen ofa typewriter, means for connecting the driving means to and disconnecting it from the sheet feeding roller at will, and means for the adjustment of those portions of the driving means adjacent to the feed roller about the longitudinal axisof the latter.

4 In a paper feeding attachment for type writers, a reservoir for the sheets, a feed roller in the reservoir, gearing carried by the reservoir in operative relation to the feed roller, a support for the gearing adjustable about the longitudinal axis of the feed roller, and flexible connections extending from said gearing to the platen of the typewriter.

5. In a paper feeding attachment for typ writers, a reservoir for the sheets, a feed roller in the reservoir, gearing carried by said reservoir in-operatlve relation to the feed roller, a clutch, flexible driving-means between one member of the clutch and the platen of the typewriter, and a sup ort for the gearing and clutch members ad justable about the longitudinal axis of the feed roller. I 6. In a paper feeding attachment for typewriters, a reservoir for the sheets, a feed roller in the reservoir, gearing for driving the feed roller, a support for the gearing adjustable about the longitudinal axis of the feed roller, a clutch connected to the gearing and adjustable with the support for the gearing, a latch for holding the clutch in the inactive position and carried by the support for the gearing, and flexible connections between one member of the clutch and the platen of the typewriter.

7." In a paper feeding attachment for typewriters, a reservoir for the sheets, feedmg follower to means for the sheets at the delivery end ofthe reservoir, and an adjustable follower at the other end of the reservoir having end extensions adjustable longitudinall of the project beyond the en s of the latter.

8. In a paper feeding attachment for typewriters, a reservoir for the sheets, feeding means for the sheets at the delivery end of .the reservoir, an adjustable follower at the other end of the reservoir having end extensions adjustable longitudinally of the follower and guide plates within the reservoir for the edgesof the sheets, said guide slates being adjustable longitudinally of sai reservoir.

9. In a paper feeding attachment for typewriters a reservoir for the sheets, fee mg means for the sheets at the delivery end of the reservoir, and a follower for the sheets at the other end of the reservoir, said fol; lower having end extensions each comprising'a longitudinally slotted strip with recessed portions adjacent to the slot, a clam bolt engaging in said recessed portions a jacent to the slot and extendin through the corresponding end of the fol ower, and a protecting covering for the recessed side of the extension strip.

10. In a paper feedin attachment for typewriters, a reservoir or sheets, a feed roller in said reservoir, a cover for the discharge end ofrhe r-eservoir overlying the feed roller, and means for holding the cover inelastic relation to the feed roller com rising a bar extendin longitudinally o the cover, adjustable re s extending through the ends of the bar beyond the cover and springs connecting the ends of the adjustable rod to the reservoir.

llf'In' a paper feeding attachment for typewriters, a reservoir. for the sheets, a feed roller within the reservoir, a partition extending along the edge of the reservoir at adjusting screws and toward the platen of the typewriter machine.

In testimon that I claim the foregoing as my own, 'I ave hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILDEY R. DIXON.

Witnesses:

J. L. SILER, O. A. PACK. 

